EP3483810A1 - System for monitoring compartment occupation - Google Patents

Abstract

System (1) for compartment occupancy monitoring in a rack (3) with at least one control and evaluation unit (4) and with a sensor (5) with a sensor housing (6) for compartment occupancy monitoring in the rack (3), wherein the sensor housing (6) a display device (7), wherein in the sensor housing (6) a first light sensor (8) is arranged with a first detection direction (9) for detecting inserted containers (18) in a shelf (2), wherein in the sensor housing (6 ), a second light scanner (10) is arranged with a second detection direction (11) for detecting a level of the shelf (3), wherein the first detection direction and the second detection direction are different, wherein the optical axes of the detection directions are arranged at an acute angle to each other.

Description

The present invention relates to a system for compartment occupancy monitoring in a rack according to the preamble of claim 1.

In the course of Industry 4.0, a filling of shelving systems is to be further automated. The aim is to control the refilling of the shelves directly from a control level and to ensure that goods containers are refilled with new material in the right place.

The shelves are rebuilt on average every five to seven months. For example, new material is added or the assembly changes. The compartment division is redesigned. The installation and the setup effort should be as small as possible during the conversion.

Known RFID readers for shelving systems. However, RFID readers can only be designed with great effort so that they can capture only one compartment. As a boundary condition, different compartment widths of approx. 200 mm to approx. 600 mm are required.

Due to the large number of shelving systems, a cost-effective solution is sought. Furthermore, a cabling effort on the shelving system should be avoided.

An object of the invention is to detect a simple and inexpensive detection of goods containers and shelves. Next, a wiring effort should be reduced or avoided. Next, a simple conversion of the shelf should be possible. Furthermore, a visual check of the correct storage of goods containers should take place.

The object is achieved according to claim 1 by a system for compartment occupancy monitoring in a rack with at least one control and evaluation and at least one sensor with a sensor housing for compartment occupancy monitoring in the shelf, wherein the sensor housing has a display device, wherein in the sensor housing, a first light sensor is arranged with a first detection direction for detecting inserted containers in a shelf, wherein in the sensor housing, a second light sensor is arranged with a second detection direction for detecting a level of the shelf, wherein the first detection direction and the second detection direction is different, wherein the optical axes of Detection directions are arranged at an acute angle to each other.

According to the invention, it can be ensured that containers are correctly stored in designated shelves and the correct tray is visually displayed to the person. There is one sensor or one sensor housing per control compartment. At the same time the level of the shelf is monitored so that overfilling is avoided, but at the same time an indication of the display device can take place that a predetermined level is reached. According to the invention, a sensor or a sensor housing per shelf is provided.

The display device can be designed as an LED display with one or more light emitting diodes to signal which shelf should be filled and / or if the shelf has been filled. Next can also be displayed if a wrong shelf has been filled. Furthermore, the display device can also have a display. With this display, additional information can be displayed, for example, the contents of the shelf or the contents of the container for the shelf.

The sensor housing is screwed to the shelf, for example. The sensor housing are connected to each other, for example by means of cables in a chain.

According to the invention, a simple and inexpensive detection of inserted containers or objects takes place on a shelf. Furthermore, the wiring effort is low because the sensors are connected to each other only by means of a common line. Next, the shelf can also be easily rebuilt, since only the sensors are assigned to the shelves again after a conversion or new sensors in the system must be added to new shelves.

In a further development of the invention, axes or the optical axes of the detection directions are arranged, for example, in a plane, wherein the plane is in particular perpendicular.

In a further development of the invention, the display device is arranged at a first end of the sensor housing, wherein the first light scanner is arranged at the opposite second end of the sensor housing and the second light sensor is arranged at the second end of the sensor housing.

As a result, the display device can point in the direction from which the shelf is filled, and secondly, the first light scanner points into the entrance area of the shelf compartment and the second light sensor into the shelf compartment for checking the filling level. As a result, the sensor housing is designed so that the sensors and the display device are already aligned by the mounting of the sensor housing at the entrance area of the shelf.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first light sensor is a reflection light sensor, in particular a reflection light sensor with background suppression.

In addition to the purely energetic reflection light scanners, reflection light scanners with background suppression have advantages because they are able to detect dark objects against a light background.

Furthermore, distance sensors or distance sensors can be provided for distance determination. These work, for example, on the principle of triangulation and contain a position-sensitive photodiode (PSD) instead of the phototransistor or work, for example, on the principle of the light transit time measurement.

A reflection photoelectric sensor with background suppression consists of a light emitter and several light receivers. Due to the principle of triangulation, the distance of a container or object can be determined. Depending on this distance, the proximity switch switches on or off.

In these optical proximity switches, the light beam emitted by the transmitter is reflected on the container or on the object. In the case of purely energetically operating light barriers without background suppression, the energy is generated on a receiving element evaluated the reflected light. For photoelectric sensors with background suppression, it is not the energy but the energy difference on at least two light receivers that is used for the evaluation. Thus, a signal is triggered when more energy is detected on a receiver for the foreground than on a receiver for the background.

In addition to a fixed area for foreground and background, light sensors with adjustable areas are also provided. This can be done electronically, for example.

In a further development of the invention, the first light sensor is a distance sensor. As a result, during the filling of the shelf compartment at least one distance measurement can already be carried out in order to obtain at least one distance value of the object or of the load. Several distance values can also be acquired in order to carry out a simple contour determination.

In a further development of the invention, the second light scanner is a distance sensor, in particular a distance sensor based on the light transit time measurement. By detecting the distance of the second sensor, the level of the shelf can be detected very accurately. By using a light transit time sensor even very large shelf depths can be detected at a high resolution of the sensor, which, for example, very many small containers in a shelf can be distinguished.

The light signal is reflected in this over the object to be detected itself. The switching distance is therefore dependent on the reflection properties of the object surface. Transmitter and receiver are also located here parallel to each other in a common housing.

In a further development of the invention, a plurality of sensor housings are arranged on a shelf, wherein in each case at least one sensor housing is arranged per shelf, wherein the sensor housing are connected to each other by a bus system.

In the connection between the sensors, the bus system may in particular be a fieldbus system. During a conversion, additional sensors can simply be inserted or removed from the chain. An address assignment of the sensors takes place automatically after each restart.

In a further development of the invention, the electrical bus connection between the sensor housings is formed by a cable or by the contact rail.

Figur 1

ein System zur Fachbelegungsüberwachung in einem Regal in einer schematischen Seitenansicht;

Figur 2

ein System zur Fachbelegungsüberwachung in einem Regal in einer schematischen Frontansicht;

Figur 3 bis Figur 4

jeweils einen Sensor mit einem Sensorgehäuse;

Figur 5

einen Sensor mit einem Sensorgehäuse und einer Antenne.

The invention will be explained below with regard to further advantages and features with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to embodiments. The figures of the drawing show in:

FIG. 1

a system for tray occupancy monitoring on a shelf in a schematic side view;

FIG. 2

a system for compartment occupancy monitoring on a shelf in a schematic front view;

FIG. 3 to FIG. 4

in each case a sensor with a sensor housing;

FIG. 5

a sensor with a sensor housing and an antenna.

In the following figures, identical parts are provided with identical reference numerals.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a system 1 for compartment occupancy monitoring in a shelf 3 with at least one control and evaluation unit 4 and at least one sensor 5 with a sensor housing 6 for compartment occupancy monitoring in the shelf 3, wherein the sensor housing 6 has a display device 7, wherein in the sensor housing. 6 a first light sensor 8 is arranged with a first detection direction 9 for detecting inserted containers 18 in a shelf 2, wherein in the sensor housing 6, a second light sensor 10 is arranged with a second detection direction 11 for detecting a level of the shelf 3, wherein the first detection direction 9 and the second detection direction 11 are different.

According to FIG. 1 a sensor 5 or a sensor housing 6 per shelf 2 is provided. In FIG. 1 the shelf 3 is shown in a side view.

According to FIG. 1 can show the display device 7 in the direction from which the shelf 2 is filled and on the other hand, the first light scanner 10 in the entrance area of the shelf 2 and the second light sensor 10 in the shelf 2 for checking the level. As a result, the sensor housing 6 is designed such that by the mounting of the sensor housing 6 at the entrance area of the shelf 2, the sensors 5 and the display device 7 are already aligned.

According to FIG. 2 is the shelf 3 off FIG. 1 shown schematically in a front view. The display device 7 may be formed as an LED display with one or more light-emitting diodes to signal which shelf 2 is to be filled and / or whether the shelf 2 has been filled. Next can also be displayed if a wrong shelf 2 has been filled. Next, the display device 7 may also have a display. With this display, additional information can be displayed, for example, the contents of the shelf 2 or the contents of the container for the shelf 2.

The sensor housing 6 is screwed to the shelf 2, for example. The sensor housing 6 are interconnected, for example by means of cables in a chain. In the connection between the sensors 5, a bus system, in particular a field bus system can be provided.

According to FIG. 3 the sensor 5 is off FIG. 1 shown enlarged. The display device 7 is arranged at a first end 12 of the sensor housing 6, wherein at the opposite second end 13 of the sensor housing 6, the first light sensor 8 is arranged and at the second end of the sensor housing 6, the second light sensor 10 is arranged.

According to FIG. 3 the first light scanner 8 is a reflection light scanner, in particular a reflection light scanner with background suppression.

A reflection photoelectric sensor with background suppression consists of a light emitter and several light receivers. By the principle of triangulation, the distance of a container 18 or object can be determined. Depending on this distance, the proximity switch switches on or off.

In addition to a fixed area for foreground and background, light sensors with adjustable areas are also provided. This can be done electronically, for example.

According to FIG. 4 the first light sensor 8 is provided as a distance sensor for distance determination. These then work according to the principle of triangulation and contain a position sensitive photodiode (PSD) instead of the phototransistor. It can also be provided distance sensors that operate on the principle of the light transit time.

According to FIG. 5 the first light button 8 is a distance sensor. As a result, during the filling of the shelf compartment 2, at least one distance measurement can already be carried out in order to obtain at least one distance value of the object or of the load. Several distance values can also be acquired in order to carry out a simple contour determination.

According to FIG. 5 the second light scanner 10 is a distance sensor, in particular a distance sensor based on the light transit time measurement.

According to FIG. 5 At least one antenna 14 is provided, wherein the sensor housing 6 is fixed to the antenna 14, wherein the control and evaluation unit is adapted to changes in the compartment occupancy of a combination of information connected to the antenna 14 RFID reader 19 and information of the Detect sensors 5 and assign locally.

The RFID reading device 19 has an RF transceiver connected to the antenna 14 and possibly a separate control and evaluation unit, which is designed to communicate with an RFID transponder 20 via the RF transceiver and the antenna by means of RFID signals.

Each at least one RFID transponder 20 is assigned to a goods container 18 and mounted or attached to the goods container 18. On the RFID transponder 20 all essential features of the filling are stored.

The antenna 14 is preferably an antenna 14 elongated over the shelf width or shelf height, for example a rod antenna. The antenna 14 may also be composed of a plurality of antennas 14 connected in series.

If the shelf 3 according to FIG. 5 is filled, reads the RFID reader 19 using the antenna 14, the RFID code on the container 18. The correct shelf 2 for filling is displayed by the display device 7 of the sensor 5. The first light sensor 8 detects the correct storage of the goods container 18. The second light sensor 10 is used to detect the level of the shelf 2.

It could also be several antennas 14 each arranged parallel to a shelf front surface.

The antenna 14 can also be used as a shelf element. Depending on the embodiment, the antenna 14 itself is part of the shelf 3, serves to stabilize it or is at least so installed in the shelf 3, that it does not interfere with procedures other than a conventional wiring. The antenna 14 can be mounted horizontally or vertically in order to selectively detect correspondingly mutually arranged shelf sections or containers 18.

According to FIG. 5 are provided on the antenna 14 contact rails 16 for contacting contact means 17 of the sensor or sensor housing 6.

Reference numerals:

• 1 system
• 2 shelf
• 3 shelf
• 4 control and evaluation unit
• 5 sensor
• 6 sensor housing
• 7 display device
• 8 first light sensor
• 9 first detection direction
• 10 second light buttons
• 11 second detection direction
• 12 first end of the sensor housing
• 13 second end of the sensor housing
• 14 antenna
• 16 contact rails
• 17 contact agents
• 18 containers
• 19 RFID reader
• 20 RFID transponders

Claims (9)

System (1) for compartment occupancy monitoring in a rack (3) with at least one control and evaluation unit (4) and with at least one sensor (5) with a sensor housing (6) for compartment occupancy monitoring in the rack (3), wherein the sensor housing (6 ) has a display device (7), wherein in the sensor housing (6) a first light sensor (8) is arranged with a first detection direction (9) for detecting inserted containers (18) in a shelf (2)
characterized in that
in the sensor housing (6), a second light sensor (10) is arranged with a second detection direction (11) for detecting a level of the shelf (3), wherein the first detection direction and the second detection direction are different, wherein optical axes of the detection directions in an acute Are arranged angle to each other. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical axes of the detection directions are in one plane. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the plane is vertical. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the display device (7) at a first end of the sensor housing (12) is arranged, wherein at the opposite second end (13) of the sensor housing (6) of the first light sensor (8) is arranged and at the second light sensor (10) is arranged at the second end (13) of the sensor housing (6). System according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first light sensor (8) is a reflection light scanner, in particular a reflection light sensor with background suppression. System according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first light sensor (8) is a distance sensor. System according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second light sensor (10) is a distance sensor, in particular a distance sensor based on the light transit time measurement. System according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of sensor housings are arranged on a shelf, wherein in each case at least one sensor housing is arranged per shelf, wherein the sensor housing are interconnected by a bus system. System according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical bus connection between the sensor housings is formed by a cable or by the contact rail.

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